To recap the issues raised during this week’s conference call, here are the key media stories we discussed, and the messages we’re conveying.
If there is a subject you would like to see addressed on Wednesday, November 2, please email Michael Barry at michaelb@iii.org.
THE WEATHER CHANNEL (TWC) INTERVIEWED THE I.I.I. ABOUT INSURER USE OF DRONES FOLLOWING NATURAL DISASTERS
The I.I.I.’s Jeanne Salvatore gave a live telephone interview to TWC regarding this matter on Monday, October 24.
NBC’s NIGHTLY NEWS EXAMINES CONNECTICUT’S CRUMBLING HOME FOUNDATIONS
The I.I.I.’s Michael Barry appeared in the segment, which was broadcast on Thursday, October 20. It was pegged to Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy’s bid to get FEMA involved in the issue.
I.I.I. ISSUES WHITE PAPER ON THE FACTORS IMPACTING U.S. AUTO INSURANCE COSTS
The I.I.I.’s Thursday, October 20, news release discussed the negative U.S. roadway trends, and linked to the white paper.
CORELOGIC FINDS 1.8 MILLION HOMES IN 13 WESTERN U.S. STATES ARE AT EXTREME OR HIGH RISK OF WILDFIRE
An additional 27 million U.S. properties fall into the moderate or low risk category for wildfires, CoreLogic reports. The largest number of at-risk homes are in California and Texas.
STORIES IN THE WORKS
Susan Samples, a reporter with Grand Rapids, Michigan’s WOOD-TV, is readying a segment on auto insurers who insert ‘step-down’ clauses into their private-passenger policies.
Nick DiUlio, a writer for InsuranceQuotes.com, is preparing a story on how more than 80 percent of homeowners are unaware of how Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) data can impact insurance costs.
CAPITOL HILL
Seven of the 11 pickup truck headlights the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) evaluated received poor ratings.
U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) says his recovery from an auto accident came “thanks in large part to my well-made Jeep Cherokee and government regulations that help keep us all safe on the road by requiring airbags.”
STATES
Alabama
The state’s Forestry Commission said more than 900 wildfires burned over 100,000 acres this month. Governor Robert Bentley signed a drought emergency declaration for 46 counties.
Arizona
An unlicensed insurance agent for Legends Environmental Services LLC was arrested after fraudulently collecting more than $450,00 in premium payments from 87 businesses, the state’s Insurance Department alleges.
California
Thirteen people died, and another 31 were injured on Sunday, October 23, when a bus collided with the rear of a semi-trailer truck on Interstate 10, near Palm Springs.
The California Earthquake Authority told Los Angeles’ ABC affiliate the cost of earthquake insurance has dropped dramatically over the past 20 years.
Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones awarded nearly $35 million to 37 district attorney (DA) offices to combat workers compensation insurance fraud.
The Orange County (OC) DA charged a 36-year-old OC sheriff’s deputy with fraudulently receiving more than $35,000 in workers compensation benefits.
Clovis-based American Labor Alliance was ordered to stop selling workers compensation insurance policies to employers because the insurer is not properly registered.
Florida
The number of Matthew claims filed stood at 91,212 as of Friday, October 21. The estimated insured loss payout has now increased to $549 million, the Office of Insurance Regulation reports.
The I.I.I.’s Lynne McChristian told The Palm Beach Post many Florida drivers benefit from their insurers’ use of credit-based insurance scores.
The I.I.I.’s Elianne González discussed travel and rental car insurance during a live interview with Telemundo’s New Day program on Tuesday, October 25.
The Associated Press reports Donald Trump received a $17 million insurance payout in 2005 for damages to Mar-a-Lago but no one seems to remember the Palm Beach resort being hit by a hurricane.
Georgia
Hurricane Matthew generated more than 30,000 claims and insured losses totaling about $90 million, according to the state’s Insurance Department.
Kansas
A presidential disaster declaration made federal funding available to governments in 11 counties following severe storms and flooding between September 2–12, 2016.
Louisiana
In a letter to the president, Governor John Bel Edwards requested an additional $4 billion in federal monies to help the state recover from 2016’s flood events.
The New Orleans Times-Picayune published a story on an academic study called Trapped in Place? Segmented Resilience to Hurricanes in the Gulf Coast, 1970–2015.
Massachusetts
The I.I.I.’s Barry spoke with the Worcester Telegram & Gazette about the insurance implications of the flash-flooding on Friday, October 21.
New Jersey
A Sandy-related measure (Assembly Bill 2877) governing flood insurance is on the agenda at a Thursday, October 27, meeting of the Assembly’s Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee.
U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) has introduced the Flood Insurance Reimbursement Standards Transparency (FIRST) Cap Profits Act, and cited PBS Frontline’s Business of Disaster documentary when doing so.
New York
Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law a measure which could result in fines of up to $7,500 for Airbnb hosts that are “more than most Airbnb hosts in New York make in a year.”
The Department of Financial Services approved a new life insurance product application “that rewards people for healthy living,” a DFS news release stated.
North Carolina
FEMA received about 4,700 Matthew-related National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims as of Friday, October 21, Standard & Poor’s Global Market Intelligence reports.
Ohio
Columbus-based Root, a new auto insurer, is asking prospective policyholders to apply for coverage by using Root’s smartphone app, which will then track their driving over the next week or two.
Oklahoma
The third largest earthquake in the state’s history—a magnitude 5.1 temblor that struck northwest of Fairview in February—was likely induced by disposal wells used in oil and gas production, the U.S. Geological Survey found.
Pennsylvania
Since early September, the Insurance Department received 123 requests to search for unclaimed life insurance policies. Ten were found, resulting in more than $90,000 in being paid to beneficiaries.
South Carolina
State Senator Margie Bright Matthews (D-Colleton) hosted a post-Matthew Town Hall meeting along with Insurance Director Ray Farmer in Walterboro on Monday, October 24.
The 60-day moratorium on insurer non-renewals and cancellations has been extended to an additional 15 counties, bringing to 23 the number of counties included in the post-Matthew emergency regulation.
Wisconsin
A presidential disaster declaration made federal funding available to governments in 10 counties as these communities recover from the severe weather of September 21–22, 2016.
SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT
South Carolina’s Matthew recovery
The South Carolina Department of Insurance, which held a Hurricane Matthew Town Hall Meeting on October 24, is on Twitter at @SCDOI.
The South Carolina Emergency Management Division is also providing disaster assistance resources on its Twitter feed at @SCEMD.
Follow the hashtag #KnowYourZone to join the discussion on the Know Your Zone public education campaign. It aims to inform residents about hurricane evacuation zones and their vulnerability to storm surge.
NTSB #DriverSafetyTech event
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the National Safety Council (NSC) will be holding on Thursday, October 27, an all-day expert panel and roundtable on advanced driver assistance systems. They will provide a live webcast which you can find via their social accounts. Follow @NTSB and @NSCsafety on Twitter, and the event hashtag #DriverSafetyTech to track the discussion.
Cyberattack impacts Netflix, Twitter
The Friday, October 21, cyberattack gained strong attention in social media. The hackers launched a massive denial of service attack against Dyn DNS, an online infrastructure company. Besides Netflix and Twitter, the attack also blocked online access to Amazon, PayPal, Spotify and The New York Times.
Follow @Dyn on Twitter for updates and the hashtag #cyberattack to follow the discussion.
MEDIA MATTERS
AT&T announced its proposed acquisition of Time Warner, parent company of CNN, HBO, and Warner Brothers.
Gannett is laying off 2 percent of its workforce.
The I.I.I. is cited regularly in the media as an authoritative source of insurance information. To access the current I.I.I. press clips, click here.
